Releasing block or hook.



v PATENTBD use 11, 1906. I A. A; momtrosn. RBLEASING BLOCK OR HOOK.

APPLIUATIOI FILED EAR. 28, 1906.

INVENTOR 2 UNITED STATES ANGUS A. MoINTOSH,

PA ENT. OFFICE.

or ALEXANDRIA, ONTARIO, c NA-DA.

RELEASING BLOCK OR HOOK- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

' Application filed March 28,1906. Serial No. 308,519.

' it appertains to make and use the same.

,M invention relates to releasing hooks or bloc s, one embodiment 'of which I have chosen to illustrate in this application.

An object of my invention is the provision of a suitable draft-block capable of being" easil and quickly secured in locked position or re eased to assume an unlocked position.

A further purpose is to provide a devicecapable of use as a grab-hook for hauling, loading, or binding logs or other material, which is highly efficient in operation, simple, compact, durable, and the parts of which may be easil replaced when necessary.

Another 0 ject is the provision of a device of this character which can be locked in any position which it is capable of assuming while in use.

My invention further consists in certain novel features and combinations of parts or their equivalents, one embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side, view of my invention in locked position, a link being removed to better disclose the construction. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the device in its unlocked position, and Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

As shown in the drawings, the device preferably comprises a shank 1, having its lower end thickened slightly, as at 2, and curved outwardly to afford sufficient strength to withstand strain and to permit one end of the member 3 to be pivotally secured thereto b means of a rule-hinge or joint connection 0' any convenient form, such joint limiting the swinging movement of the member relative to the shank. The opposite end of the shank is provided with an aperture for the attachment of a flexible connection 4cas, for instance, a chain. I

Located, it ma be, adjacent the aperture and opposite the 'nged end of the shank are a pair of links 5 5, each of which is pivotally secured at one end to the shank, which latter is provided with the inclined shoulders 6 6 on each side of the links to limit their movement relative thereto, the inner face of the shank being preferably out awa as at 7, to give clearance to the head 8 0 a latch mounted between the outer ends of the links 5 5. The head of the latch or trip is preferably circular to conform to the cut-away or recessed portion 7 on the shank adjacent the pivotalpoint of the link and shank, said head having an irregular approximately heart-shaped recess 9 formed therein at a point extending above a line drawn between the pivotal point of the links and shank and the pivotal point ofthe head and links, or so that the end of the member 3 received in the recess will lie practically in alinement with the ends of the nks when the device is in closed or locked position.

The tail 10 of the latch extends outwardly from the head and member when the device is in closed or locked position and is provided with means for attaching a tri ping-cord 11 thereto, the offset tail afi'ord in suflicient leverage to move the latch and t e links on the free end of the member as a pivot until past the dead-center or out of alinement therewith, whereu on the free end of the member is released? Intermediate the head and tail the latch is faced, as at 12, to lie and be received in a recess 13, similar in conformation to the face 12, such recess being formed in the outer side of the member to permit the latch to lie closely against it and substantially parallel with the pivoted member.

The head of the latch. is tooth 14, located on one wal of the recess 9 and lyin in a recess 15, formed in the inner side of t e pivoted member 3 adjacent the end of the pivoted member, below which recess is formed an enlargement 16, practically closing the throat of the device, the chain or other connection being received in the space formed between the enlargement and the rovided with a joint connection between the shank and pivoted member. The free end of the member conforms inshape to the recess 9 of the latch, in which it is snugly received.

When in the closed osition, (shown in Fig. 1,) the toe 17 at the ee end of the member engages or takes behind the tooth 14 0f the head and forms a pivot-point around which the latch moves in releasing the pivoted member.

In operation, the hook beingin o tiom and it being desired to close t en posie same,

all that is necessa is to close the pivoted member 3 on the s ank, the free end of the member being received in the heart-shaped recess in the head of the latch, the outer curved face 18 of the free end of the member forming a continuation of one side 9 of the recess, the toe. 17 of the member taking behind the tooth 14' of the head'oi' the latch, which tooth lies in the indentation 15 on the inner edge of the pivoted member, while the periphery of the head of the latch is received in the space formed by the cut-away portion of the shank. The latch is now .thrown down, thereby bringing its ivotal point below the pivotal point of t e links and the free end of the member3, the links lying in an inclined position and the faced edge of the latch lying 1n the recess formed therefor on the outer edge of the pivoted. member, the latch. operating to hold and lock the pivoted member against movement, the links resting on the inclined shoulders formed therefor and the links of a chain or other connection (not shown) bein held in the restricted space between the shank and member. To unlock the device, the tripping connection is pulled smartly, whereupon the latch is raised until the curved face 18 at the free end of the ivoted member clears the recess 9, the tootn 14 engaging the end of the member to force the latter outward as the latch is raised, the links movin with the latch away from the free end of the pivoted member until at the moment the curved face clears the recess 9 the tooth 14, will have urged the member so that it lies beyond the vertical center of its joint with the shank, whereupon the tension of the load will snap the member open to release the load. The tension or weight of the load is always tending to open the hook, suchtension being brought to bear by the curved face 9 on the head of the latch at a point to one side of the ends of the links, and it will be noted that the pivoted member inclines toward the shank when in locked position;

It is evident that my device may be utilized in a plurality of ways, such as serving as a binder to unite the ends of a chain or in other ways, and it is also obvious that many changes might be made in the forms and arrangements of the several parts described Without departing from the spirit and-scope of my invention, and hencel do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth. I Havin thus fully disclosed my invention, what I c aim as new, and desire to secure,

1. A releasing-hook comprising a rigid shank, offset at one end, a rigid member pivotally connected to'the offset end, a latch at the opposite end of the shank, for engaging the free end of the member to retain the hook in locked position, the member when in locked position being inclined relative to the shank and having its free end lying past deadcenter and nearer the shank than the pivotal therebetween and an enlar ement on the.

member near its free .end orlclosing the v throat of said space.

3. A device comprising a shank, a member pivotally secured at one end thereto, links pivotallysecured to the shank, shoulders for limiting the movement of the links and a latch pivotally mounted between the links and adapted to en age and lock the free end of the member in c osed position.

4. A device comprising a plurality of members pivot ally connected at ,one end, links pivotally secured to one of the members and adapted to embrace the remaining member and a latch pivotally mounted bet-Ween the links and adapted to engage the'fi'ee end ofthe member to lock the member inclosed position.

5. A device comprising a shank recessed at one edge, a member pivotally secured to-the of the shank, a latch, the outer peripher head ofwhich is adapted to be received and turn in the recess, the latch adapted to retain' the member in closed position and means for pivotally connecting th'e'latch and shank.

6. A device comprising a shank,-a member pivotally secured thereto, a latch suitably connected to the shank, for locking the pi'v oted member in closed position, the member provided with a recess at its free end and a I tooth on the latch adapted to take into the recess to throw the pivoted member outwardas the device is unlocked. w v 7. Adevice comprising a shank, a member pivotally secured thereto, a latch suitably connected to the shank and having a recess ,formed therein to receive the free end of the the shank and having a recess formed therein to receive the free end of the member, one

IIO

wall of the recess being curved inconformity pivotally secured to'theconnect end of the member-when in closed, position,

the latter lying out of alinement with the piv-' member in closed position, the free end of the member when in locked position extending out of alinement with the pivotal points of the links and latch.

11. A device comprising a shank, a member, one end ofwhich is pivoted to the shank, the outer face of the member near its free end being recessed, a latch pivotally connected to-the shank and adapted to engage and lock the member in closed position, a faced por-' tion on the latch received in the recess in the member and a tail on the latch offset from the member and latch. v

12. A releasing-hook comprising an offset shank, a member pivotally secured'at one end to the offset, a recessed latch pivotally connected with the shank, the free end of the member receivable in the recess and adapted to be kicked by the rotation of the latch over dead-center in one direction or the other.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ANGUS A. McINTOSH. Witnesses:

AGNES H. BURKE, HORACE M. SANFORD. 

